Orange Rattlers to move from East Chicago to East Troy

I am hearing rumors that the old orange cars being stored at the steel mill at East Chicago are going to be moved to the East Troy Museum, but no idea on a date. Info, anyone?

I'm emailing Bob Harris, since he's the main curator of these cars, so he should know.

fast reply, the NPR cars are going to East Troy while Bobs cars are going to Michigan City, exact time-dates he doenst know probably based on moving schedules etc etc.

I didnt think they could stay at the steel mill, but a kind gesture by the Steel mill and to be thanked for that.

This has been in the works for at least a couple weeks now. No names mentioned (to respect privacy) but the engineer on at least the East Troy move is one VERY familiar with traction preservation in the area and the routing of the move will (as much as possible) be on CN rails.

Ok, to refresh my memory (and probably everyone else's), which cars are going to East Troy, and which to MC?

Two are mine (#s 3 & 5); five are National Park Service (#s 6, 23, 33, 107, 203). They are being stored at Mittal Steel at Indiana Harbor. There is no public access to them there. I have no idea how long we will be welcome at Mittal, but we hope and pray that we will have ownership of embargoed track in South Bend, Indiana, in August.

thats from Bob Harris an email a long time back.

I'll ask him a few more Q's

Embargoed track in South Bend?? Could you elaborate on what that is?

Thats the project of having Notre Dame return to rail car coal loads.

Getting curiouser now whats happenning, as Bob just mentioned the NPS cars going to East Troy is permanent, as NPS and Michigan City dumped whatever project they had in 2008. Thats direct from Bob.

He says he has some project in Montana, dunno whats up.

I'll keep asking.

looks like the politicalness wins again as Bob seems not up to persuing the project.

The line unless something happens will probably dissappear.

There goes the neigborhood again.

CSS&SB702 wrote:Embargoed track in South Bend?? Could you elaborate on what that is?

NS still owns the line to the Notre Dame campus, but it has no direct rail connections unless like what Bob came up with to reconnect rail deliveries, which is technically possible.

http://maps.google.com/maps?num=50&hl=e ... a=N&tab=wl

I'm looking at the ND campus and re-following that line

The line in South Bend is in poor condition and would have to be rebuilt ... especially at crossings and where neighboring land owners have taken over the space. It is a railroad from nowhere to nowhere at the moment.
BTW: For a different view you might want to try Bing's maps.
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qyhcb6 ... IN%2046530

Here's one particular bad spot:
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qydgzy ... IN%2046530

As far as the cars ... is there a definitive list somewhere of where all the old cars have gone? I've been able to find a few through museum sites and mentioned in various threads but has anyone kept track of where all of the old cars have gone?

Try this: http://www.bera.org/cgi-bin/pnaerc-quer ... agelen=200

That's part of the practically-definitive database fellow IRM volunteer (and RR.net poster) Frank Hicks has put together over the years. One thing which may be slightly inaccurate (maybe outdated is the right term) is the fact that at least the cars at IRM are no longer owned by the Park Service. This transfer of ownership to IRM officially went through within the past year or so (according to a couple of electric car guys I had dinner with about two weeks ago, after our Saturday out in Union) and although there was never really any question that the cars might leave the property, this is still good because it means the cars can "accept" donations earmarked toward them. Previously it wasn't possible to have a fund setup for them because they weren't museum-owned cars

wonder who authoritized the land owners to go ripping into the railroad, NS should be the one complaining...but they seem to be not

dinwitty wrote:wonder who authoritized the land owners to go ripping into the railroad, NS should be the one complaining...but they seem to be not

NS doesn't want the railroad ... they certainly are not going to spend much time defending it.
It would take a lot to get a train through there (more than just a reconnection to the NS mainline).

Are there any more updates to this move? Am planning on doing a little excursion this weekend to the Chicago area and wonder if the cars are anywhere in public view yet?